Miley Cyrus: VMAs Best Dressed

Loved what she was wearing. Loved the fit of those pants. Don’t be afraid of the flare at the pockets. Different shapes are good.

But Miley’s clothing, for a change, wasn’t the conversation last night. As you now know, Miley decided to use the moment – her win for Wrecking Ball as Video of the Year – to advocate on behalf of homeless and at-risk youth. A young man called Jesse spoke on her behalf, urging her fans to donate to My Friend’s Place and win a chance to party with her in Rio. Maybe not the best choice for a prize, considering the cause, but for the most part she’s being praised for her efforts, a sharp turn from the way everyone was talking about her last year. You’d have to be c-nt to sh-t on the spirit here. And, especially given my experience working for and volunteering at Covenant House Vancouver, it was a powerful moment, to see Jesse up there, proving that he’s not less-than anyone else with more opportunity.

But let’s not pretend that this was entirely altruistic either. She certainly looked very moved by her own gesture. If we’ve learned anything about Miley over the last year and a half or so, it’s that she knows how to stunt. That in being able to stunt so well, in knowing when to steal her moments, in being at once controversial and compassionate, she very well may be more Madonna than Britney ever was.